Tim Bee’s Refusal to Resign to Run

DCCC Press

Nov 9, 2007

Tim Bees Refusal to Resign to Run

Special interests with business before the Arizona State Senate are throwing a fundraiser for Senate President Tim Bees congressional campaign committee on Tuesday. This shake-down of lobbyists is the latest example of his blatant disrespect for Arizonas Resign to Run law.

Tim Bees ongoing attempt to use his exploratory committee as a shield from Arizonas Resign to Run law is fooling nobody. Weve now learned that Tim Bee is holding posh campaign fundraisers to cozy-up to special interests, while still maintaining the farce that he is not using his Senate position as a tool to raise money for his congressional run, said Doug Thornell, Spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. At this point, the only thing Tim Bees exploratory committee is exploring is how he can best leverage special interests for himself instead serving the people of Southern Arizona.

Background:

· On November 13, 2007, Tim Bee will be holding a fundraising reception to benefit the Tim Bee Exploratory Committee. The reception is being hosted by Jim Weirs, Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and co-hosted by four co-chairman. [A copy of the host committee and Tim Bees solicitation letter is attached.]

· Each of the four co-chairman listed on Bees invitation to his Arizona Club Fundraiser is a registered lobbyist:

o Kevin DeMenna [Lob ID # 3100669]

o Michael Preston Green [Lob ID # 3101382]

o John Kaites [Lob ID # 3600187]

o Michael Racy [Lob ID # 3100964]

· Recent editorials and opinion pieces from across Arizona have criticized Tim Bees continued refusal to officially announce his candidacy, while raising money through his exploratory committee:

o It's time for Tim Bee to quit wavering and tell voters whether he is or is not going to run for Congress in the Southern Arizona district represented by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. [AZ Republic, 9/26/07]

o In 1980, voters in Arizona approved a law requiring elected officials to resign their existing offices if they were going to run for another seat . So far, state Sen. Tim Bee, R-Tucson, has not resigned his seat despite his obvious intention to run for Congress. [Opinion by Maria Weeg, AZ Democratic Party; published in the AZ Daily Star, 10/11/07]

o  Bee and other elected officials find themselves in a sticky spot right about now because of Arizona's resign-to-run law. Once they really start running they have to step aside ... [Amanda J. Crawford, Matthew Benson and Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic; Oct. 14, 2007]

· Russell Perce, a candidate for Congress in Arizonas 6th District recently said that he only requires $25,000 to fund an exploratory run to pay for critical research and polling. [http://www.pearce2008.com/latest/from-the-desk-of-russell-pearce.html] According to the FEC, the Tim Bee Exploratory Committee has so far raised $134,000 [http://www.fec.gov/404error.shtml]